Syracuse Basketball: 4-star transfer guard Lucas Taylor has 'heavy' interest in 'Cuse

Georgia State junior guard Lucas Taylor, who is in the transfer portal, appears to have a high interest in Syracuse basketball.

The four-star transfer prospect, who entered the portal on March 18 per Rivals.com, has been a hot-button topic for Orange fans on social media and in chat rooms lately. Rumors have circulated that the 'Cuse staff may have an interest in the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Taylor, and a media report on Thursday confirmed this chatter.

Top analyst Mike McAllister of 247Sports noted in a piece that the Syracuse basketball staff is pursuing Taylor, with Orange coaches and this target discussing a possible official visit next month.

Currently, there is a dead period transpiring on the recruiting calendar, and it began on May 22 and runs through June 2. So if Taylor were to ultimately visit the Hill, it would have to occur after the dead period is over.

McAllister's story cited a source as stating that Taylor's interest in the 'Cuse is "heavy." That's great to hear.

Syracuse basketball is taking a close look at Georgia State transfer guard Lucas Taylor.

Taylor, who is from Raleigh, N.C., had a terrific 2023-24 campaign at Georgia State, which is a member of the Sun Belt Conference. As the Panthers went 14-17 overall this past season, Taylor as a junior averaged 30.7 minutes, 14.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest, according to ESPN data.

He connected on 40.7 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 78.7 percent from the free-throw line.

When I wrote this article on Thursday, in its national transfer rankings this off-season, 247Sports placed Taylor as four stars, No. 204 overall and No. 39 at shooting guard.

Last month, the X account The Portal Report said in a post that various college squads were showing some level of interest in Taylor, including UNLV, West Virginia, UCF, Temple, Loyola Chicago, George Mason, Arizona State, St. John’s, George Washington and Oregon State, among others.

In his story on Thursday, McAllister noted some of these same suitors as well, along with another school, TCU.

Taylor, who started his collegiate career at fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Wake Forest, was a three-star prospect in the 2021 class out of Heritage High School in Wake Forest, N.C. While in high school, the industry-generated 247Sports Composite ranked him in the top 200 nationally, the top 50 at shooting guard and within the top 10 in North Carolina.

Per his bio on the Georgia State athletics department Web site, as a senior at Heritage, Taylor received All-State honors when he averaged 27.9 points, eight rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.2 steals per encounter.

It's been a hectic off-season for the Syracuse basketball coaching staff. Seven players from the team's 2023-24 roster have hit the portal, while sophomore point guard Judah Mintz is heading to this summer's NBA Draft.

Five 2023-24 players are expected to return, while to date, the Orange's 2024 recruiting class features two high school seniors and three college transfers. This means that the 'Cuse, ahead of the 2024-25 season, still has three open scholarships available.

I've noted on many occasions of late that I believe the Orange's biggest remaining needs this off-season are three-fold: a combo guard, a 3-point specialist out on the wing, and a big man who can suit up at power forward and center.

The Syracuse basketball backcourt for 2024-25, as it stands now, includes five guards. Should the 'Cuse staff be able to add Taylor, that would further bolster the squad's already talented guard positional group.